Having completed a few 5k's this summer, I was recently re-introduced to this beautiful trail…read moresystem. I agree with other Yelpers when it comes to the trail being secluded and more "in the woods," compared to say, The Tony Knowles trail, which is a favorite of mine. Because of this, you're definitely more likely to see wildlife on this trail, so be bear and moose aware. Carry lots of bug spray. The biggest pro about this trail for me, is all the shallow fresh water access points. Please note, the most secluded parts of this trail are also home to Anchorage's homeless population, so it's best to be aware of your surroundings in general.

Anchorage's urban trail system is it's biggest asset that no one outside of Anchorage knows about,…read moreand that folks in Anchorage take for granted. This one runs West-to-East. In the west, it starts at Westchester Lagoon and it seems to end at Goose Lake Park in the east. I use a good chunk of it to bike commute. It's nice in that it rarely intersects a road. Where it approaches a main-vain, it tunnels underneath the road. Chester Creek is also very picturesque in parts. It's got a gentle flow, it's lined with trees, and it's dotted with quaint little wooden bridges. It makes me want to sing "Over the river and through the woods, to grandmother's house we go!" It's decently groomed in the winter, and is the realm of XC skiers and fat bikers, but it can be done with some good waterproof boots, on foot, as well.

Just an awesome trail for that afternoon stroll or biking or running whatever you may do here it…read morecan be fone here have fun

We decided to have our wedding in the park since it's close to our house and has a pretty…read morefootbridge over the creek. I spent the better part of a day shoveling snow off the bridge so our guests didn't get sucked into 3 feet of snow, but it was worth it. My only complaint is the city needs to do something about the parking lot. Since I always walk here, I didn't realize until my wedding day how absolutely jacked this parking lot is. If you don't have an all wheel vehicle, there is a very good likelihood you will bottom out and get stuck in the ginormous holes at the entrance to this parking lot. Other than that, it was a beautiful day.

Kudos to Joy G for snagging the FTR on this one! (and shame on my for missing it!)…read more This is one of two trails in Hope. Both are very well maintained. The other one, Gull Rock, is flat the entire time: https://www.yelp.com/biz/gull-rock-trail-hope This one, should you take it all the way to the top of Hope Point (3,708'), if you want to take it that far! Views from the top are incredible. You get views of the many peaks of the arm that you just can't get driving to Girdwood because, well, you're too close to the mountains to see their full profiles! This trail is also unique in that it melts out pretty early season (May) for how relatively high it is. More details on Joy G's review, check it out!

Hope Point trail has 2 access points. You can park at the free parking lot that shares the trail…read morehead will Gull Rock Trail for the first mile. Or, if you're lucky enough to be camping at Porcupine Campground, you can start your hike at the unmarked trailhead that starts at the entrance to the campground where the bridge crosses Porcupine Creek. It takes through a much prettier walk through the forest full if beautiful flora and the sounds if rushing water. We hiked both and agree this was much nicer. We didn't have time to hike the whole trail since we also did part of Gull Rock this day, but turned around due to overgrowth and a TON of bear scat on the trail. Hope Point is much rockier and steeper, and doesn't have the same pretty views as Gull, but I also don't want to be mauled by a brown bear. We'll definitely do this trail again.

Do not be confused, this isn't access to Potter Marsh!…read more This is the western start of the 10 mile Turnagain Arm trail. The great thing about this trail is that it's very moderate and almost immediately gives decent views. The not-so great: - It can get VERY crowded, especially in the summer. - There often isn't good parking here in the spring. Everyone wants to get on one of the firs trails to melt out and the parking lot isn't quite fully open yet - You are almost constantly bathed in LOUD highway noise, which can almost make it feel more like a city trail than a hiking trail

This is the start of a one-way ~9 mile trek along Turnagain Arm. First 3 miles are to McHugh Creek,…read morewhich has an easy walk with stops along the way. There are benches and side trails to pop out and rest, or just view the arm and the surrounding mountains. At the start of the trailhead it's not well advertised, but there is an interactive walk with stops to read about the flora and fauna, and another trail that is straight on through along the trail. Will recommend to the outdoor walking enthusiast.

If you want a trail that's a step up from your usual Flattop, this is a good candidate…read more Stats: Mileage: ~2 miles Gain: ~3,500 ft For comparison, here is flattop: Mileage: 1.5 miles Gain: 1,350 The trail is only slightly longer but packs ~2.5X as much gain! It's located between the McHugh Creek (https://www.yelp.com/biz/mchugh-creek-chugach-state-park-anchorage) and Falls Creek trailheads (https://www.yelp.com/biz/falls-creek-trail-anchorage). It's poorly-signed so you gotta be on the lookout! (mile marker is between 108 and 109). Like just about every trailhead on the Seward Highway, it connects with the moderate and uncreatively-named "Turnagain Arm Trail" (https://www.yelp.com/biz/turnagain-arm-trail-anchorage). The main attraction here is summiting Rainbow Peak. To do this: - From the parking lot, walk West (towards Anchorage) till you find the trail. - This short unnamed trail feeds into the Turnagain Arm trail, you'll quickly come to a sign at the junction with TA trail. You'll want to, again, go towards Anchorage. (e.g. NOT towards "Windy Corner") - Look for where the trail crosses a gravel service road (warning: do not go up this, weird private property section!) Once you cross this, start being on the lookout for a scree covered "trail" to our right. It's very close to where the TA trail crests up on a ridge, it'll be on your right. It'll look sewwwper steep, but, don't be scared (I recommend grabbing trees, in the amateur alpinst world, we call this a "veggie belay"). It lets up. After a while, you'll gain the ridge proper and it'll be pretty obvious where to go (up!) The views from the summit are pretty good, you can see the neighboring trails (McHugh and Falls Creek), the Suicides, and a panoramic view of the arm. A word of caution: be on the lookout for bears and always carry spray and/or hike in groups. I saw a grizzly bear on a neighboring slope (he was far away, he just chilled in the bushes the whole time) and some hikers coming down told me they saw a black bear chasing a sheep on the ridge. I then started hiking with my spray-drawn. I thought I looked like Special Forces team, but I probably more closely resembled The Orkin Man. (is that still a thing? Do people still know who he is?) Definitely, try this one out, it can also be done as an after-work hike if you don't mind coming in a little tired the next day!

Compared to the usual hikes occasional hikers and/or tourists do (Flattop et al), this hike is…read morelonger. That's not necessarily a bad thing though. That means the grade (steepness) is much more gradual and, to many folks, it "feels" less steep. The trail starts out low and in the brush. In my opinion, this is the scariest part. Why? Well, you never have to scramble up rocks and use your hands on this trial, but that's not why. The why is simple: BEARS. I definitely recommend hiking with friends, or being loud, or taking bear spray, or all of the above. The lower parts of the trail have many blind-turns and overgrown areas where you could surprise Ballou. Soon you'll leave the brush though, and take a gentle cruise to the summit of Wolverine. The views from the top, looking east (away from Anchorage) are pretty incredible.

Hiking Wolverine Peak was my first activity in Alaska and it left me sore for the rest of the week…read more However, the climb as well as the views made it all worthwhile. The hike is well known locally and is about 10 miles round trip. It can be strenuous as Wolverine Peak is 4500 feet above sea level and most of the hike is straight uphill. The first 2 miles aren't too bad but the trail gets narrower and steeper as you go along so I was huffing and puffing halfway into it. You have to make your way carefully in certain parts where the trail gets narrow cuz there's this plant called Cow's Parsnip (I think that's what it's called) and something on the flower reacts to sunlight so if you brush up on the flower and it gets sunny, you will have very nasty blistering sores. Be careful! Throughout the hike the guide stopped periodically so that I could check out the scenery and the wildlife. There was a moose and her calf.. and we picked wild blueberries on the trail for a little snack. And the views of the peaks and valleys were so lovely. Just really hard to describe... Take lots of water and a nice lunch to enjoy at the top. A great way to spend the day.

One of the best trails I did in Alaska!!!! it's not that long and on relatively flat ground…read more Changing scenery along the way and you are rewarded with an absolutely gorgeous Alpine Lake at the end.

Beautiful trail any time of year. The parking area and street can packed, so be prepared to hike to…read morethe start of the trailhead depending on the time of day and day of the week. In the past I've only hit this trail to go to peak two for skiing, but recently went to Rabbit Lake on the most perfect day possible. Got great photos of the Suicides, waded in the lake, and wallowed on the grass. One regret is that I didn't get a pano shot. I'm like queen of the panos, what the heck? There were a few people tenting it, making it a perfect amateur backpacking adventure. Will come again and may pack a picnic.

If you're looking to setup your game from your usual Flattop, Ptarmigan is a great bet!…read more You start at the Rabbit Creek trailhead, go about halfway up, then just aim for Ptarmigan! It's the pyramid-like summit to your left, you can miss it! The usually route is a fun 3rd class scramble. Like the very top of Flattop, except way more of it. Another great route in the winter for skiers/mountaineers is the "S-colouir". That route starts from Glen Alps. There are even crazy ice/mixed routes in the winter, some that have only been climbed handful of times.